Don't Sleep It Away
by shadowtheo
Summary: When Shin is badly beaten up, he turns up at kurosaki's house, desperate for help. Dramaverse, set after episode 9.
1. Chapter 1

Summery: When Shin is badly beaten up, he turns up at kurosaki's house, desperate for help. Dramaverse, set after episode 9.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own imagination.

Don't Sleep It Away:1 Unfair Fighting.

It was raining, hard. The overly large droplets seemed to hit heavier then usual, each weighing a ton, as they soaked through Sawada Shin's clothing. He was staggering, leaning against the nearby wall for support, breath coming in as harsh gasps, and leaving as a rasping vapor through the chill of the rain.

"Damn it's hard to see." The battered figure chocked out as he squinted through the downpour. Never would he have thought his evening would end up like this, drunkenly searching for a safe place to hide from his attackers. He knew he had to get to help, and fast, he wasn't going to last much longer. 'And if I fall unconscious, and they find me, it's all over.' Shin was not naive enough to think that because he was out of it his followers would be any more merciful then when he was awake and it was too-many-to-count on one.

The evening had not begun differently, after eating at the nearby cafe with the others he had headed home. That was when it had happened, a phone call.

"We have your sister, want to see her alive then come to warehouse 17, come alone." then nothing but the flat, intruding noise signaling the end of the conversation. Of course, Shin had realized it could have been a trap, he realized it could have been a prank, a wrong call, a threat, a scare-tactic. He also realized however, that if he did not go and find out which of the above it was, he would never forgive himself. His sister's health, like his friend's, came well before his own well-being.

Shin took off at a run, breaking all of his previous records and practically tearing up the asphalt. He ran until his lungs would collapse if he run any further, but luckily he had arrived. The building was dark and run down, cables and discarded objects and metal scattered as far as his adjusting eyes could see. Realizing that possibly his current fatigue and blindness was a definite disadvantage as he continued ahead, he was startled, but not altogether surprised to feel a shove sending him to the floor, hard, followed by the maniac cackle of laughter.

"Look, he actually showed up!"

"Told ya he would, the little piece of crap!"

"Now now my friends, let us not scare the poor bunny, he may run away and cry." It was this voice, rather then any of the others before it, that chilled him to the bone. No one would be able to tell by looking at the stoic face, but inside his heart was pounding way too fast for someone who felt like they were frozen to the floor.

"What are you doing here?" Shin questioned calmly against his better nature.

"Why, I'm here to see you my little bunny." This time Shin outwardly cringed at the pet name he had received from his would-be abuser. It was one nickname he had never been sorry to loose.

"Awww, look, wittle wabbits scared!" Came the comment of a tall, lean figure with a pointed face. "Hey Hat-chan, can we sick im' now."

"ORUSAI! I told you not to call me that, shit face!" The figure through a bullet-like punch at the other, sending him flying into some disused cans. The rest of the group instantly became as still as death and drew back, giving their leader a respectfull space to work the victim in. At least until they were called.

Shin's heart raced, his pupils dilated and his eyes fractionally wider giving the only signs of his fear. Signs that his attacker knew only too well, as the man Shin knew as 'Hat-chan' slowly approached his prey.

"It's been too long my little bunny, too long since you ran away." The tall figure's voice betrayed only a slight hint of anger in its otherwise calm tirade as he stalked closer to Shin. Shin chose to say nothing. If this man was still the Hat-chan that he had known, it was never wise to interrupt.

"I've got me some new friends now. Ones that understand what I went through, what _you _put me through."

"I never put you through anything." Shin replied as calmly as he could, as if he were an outsider viewing his own fate someone on a backbench, as oppose to having a front row seat.

"Ha! You hear that!" The menacing man swung around to look at his cronies whilst beginning to circle Shin. "He says it wasn't his own fault. Isn't that what they _all_ say." Sinister chuckling followed the comment, the looming gang seemed to form a tighter circle around predator and prey.

"Oh yes bunny," the man directed at Shin once again. "You see I have been good to my new friends. Their needs came first, much like how you treat your friends. But mine were more satisfied by the help I gave them. I wonder how many times you've been thanked by yours for coming to their 'rescue', a great lot of help I'm sure, must make you feel...taken for granted rather."

Shin felt himself grow cold at the realization that Hat-chan had been watching him without his knowledge. He couldn't run home if he escaped, they surely had already worked out where that was.

"I, on the other hand." Hat-chan continued as if conversing about the weather. "Am thanked on a daily basis for the help I give my friends." The sliver of curiosity that slipped into Shin's eyes was not missed by his circling captor.

"I help them get over all their little, problems. The ones like _you_ who put them through hell. All those little rodents eating away at their souls, turning them into pathetic, whimpering forms of self-torture. But we got them, bunny. One by one we dealt with them, punished them, made them see the error of their ways. And my friends were satisfied."

Hat-chan swung around and crouched barely an inch from Shin, causing the later to jump against his will.

"But not me," Hat-chan growled, holding Shin's chin in his fingers as he tried to jerk away impulsively.

"I would never be satisfied, until I got you, bunny. You who made all those others seem like amateurs in their betrayal." He was positively hissing by now, his onlookers becoming increasingly awed by the second.

"And tell me." Shin spoke, voice shaking slightly, betraying his anger and fear, making his enemy smile. "How did I betray you?"

Shin partly hated himself for asking this. He was playing directly into Hat-chan's hands, and he knew it. The first answer he received was an awful, twisted smile, the second was words.

"You got yourself expelled bunny, you always were so bad at obeying orders. That's what made you so special, my little rabbit."

Shin cringed at the crooning voice that spoke the last sentence, and yet forced himself to voice an opinion. He had never been one to take things lying down.

"Even if I was so _special_ as you put it." Shin glared at his captors smirk, he always did enjoy when people said his own words after he said them, if he liked you that is. Shin could barely stand the thought of what might happen if Hat-chan still liked him. "Why keep me if I was so badly behaved, I would never have made you happy."

Hat-chan laughed, a long, prolonged sound that melted eerily into the warehouse.

"Because you're my bunny, Bunny, and I will never let you go. My Bunny was always the most _beautiful_. You even make me happy now, when you've left me. But you also make me proud. My Bunny doesn't snivel and beg like the other rodents, you were always so gorgeous and defiant."

Shin felt sick, he had had enough of this at his last school that he had shared with this maniac, and he would not go through this again, not without a fight. He agreed with Hat-chan on one point, he was not as weak as those others.

"I am not that gorgeous, I am that defiant. And I will _never_ give myself to you." His words of anger were punctuated by sending a sharp punch to Hat-chan's face. Causing him to crash to the floor, allowing Shin to get up and back away, at least temporarily.

Hat-chan did not even waste time getting up. "GET 'IM!" was all he bellowed at his gang, before smirking at Shin.

Shin meanwhile, had become preoccupied with the gang that had circled behind him unnoticed. He gave one last thought to the ever-decreasing odds of his escape, before plunging defiantly into one of the most desperate fights of his life.

It begun quite well; he sent one man to the floor, injured a few others, and prevented another from ever having children.

"Stop playing around you cretins and just get him!" Hat-chan shrieked "It doesn't matter if he gets bruised, but if he gets away and tells we're finished!" These words unfortunately seemed to conquer any doubts in Shin's assailant's hearts about beating up the boss' Bunny, and they attacked with full force.

Shin struggled as he was grabbed from behind and hit repeatedly in the stomach, causing him to double over, coughing desperately. He felt himself being dropped to the floor, and then the real pain began. At first he was aware of being kicked, punched, thrown around and hit with sticks. But all too soon the pain searing in the different parts of his body became all-consuming, and he could no longer differentiate them. Finding it increasingly hard to think with his head pounding violently, and breath when he felt he was taking in knives instead of oxygen, he was only aware of the twitching and flinching of his body when he was hit with an unknown object.

After what seemed like hours, but couldn't have been more then minutes, the attack stopped. The only sound he could hear was his own harsh gasping for air, and the occasional scuffling sound as his body convulsed with the undistinguishable pain. His eyes saw swirling walls and shadows when he opened them, making him feel nauseous. He coughed sending his chest into a world of stabbing hurt, and his head spinning further due to lack of oxygen.

He was cold, his body shivering pathetically, yet parts of him had a sickeningly warm trickling sensation, the more focused part of his brain realized he must be bleeding.

Then, cutting through the surrounding silence, came the thud of slow footsteps, moving closer until he could see the offending boots in his poor range of vision.

The figure crouched, and Shin vaguely felt a hand on his shoulder, before he was pulled into a half slouching, half sitting position, causing him to cry out in pain against his will. He had always hated showing weakness to enemies, especially this one, ironically this was also the one he showed the most weakness around.

"Aw, there there Bunny, It will be alright, I can make the pain all better. Did you know I always wanted to be a doctor." Shin heard distorted laughter coming from one side of him, and realized with a dull flash of hope, that at least they were not circling him anymore. He felt some more warm blood trickle down his face from his forehead, but a hand he knew to be Hat-chan's wiped it away, almost lovingly.

"Come on Bunny, just say you'll stay with me and I'll help you. I'll even let you still go to that run down school of yours and be with your pathetic friends, just say your mine." Shin realized that Hat-chan must be desperate if he had begun to make deals with him, especially in the state he was in. But that changed nothing. One of the reasons he lived on his own was because of his father being so controlling, and Hat-chan knew it. That was probably the whole reason of asking him in this state. He wouldn't think strait and would say yes, or something similar. And then Hat-chan would be able to say that he had agreed to the whole thing.

"I'll, n-never be yours, Hatori." Shin managed to gasp out between breaths, and he did not miss the wave of anger that crossed Hat-chan's face as he said it.

"I told you to call me _Hat-chan_, only _you_ can. ISN'T THAT GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU?" Shin hit the floor hard as Hat-chan threw him. "ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS LISTEN TO ME!" Shin instinctively flinched away, closing his eyes as Hat-chan raised his boot. Time seemed to pass slowly until Shin felt the blow connect with his right arm, the force of it made him yell and try to pull away belatedly, as he heard the sickening crack, felt the bone smash awkwardly, breaking his skin.

Shin bit his lip until it bled as he saw the foot rise again for another blow, he could picture his attacker's maniacal grin as he brought such rare, raw emotion to the usually calm figure, lying beneath him.

"Hey! what's goin' on here, don'cha know this is our territory? Sick 'em guys!" Shin recognized the voices of a gang from a nearby academy, and saw his escape.

"Get 'em!" Hat-chan yelled in response as he and his gang got lost in the fight.

Shin knew this was his only chance. Taking in great gulps of air he pushed himself up and clung to a nearby crate for support, his broken arm cradling his chest. He quickly checked he wasn't seen. Everyone was too immersed in fighting to notice him, it was dark and he was quite a way away from the brawl.

Trying to push past the pain and shaking he raked in a few more breaths, and ran for his life, adrenalin making him break his just newly formed record.

So that is where he was, leaning increasingly heavily against the seemingly never-ending wall. He was at the come down of his adrenalin, the shaking had increased as his legs struggled to support him through the numbing and searing pain.

Just as the end of the wall was finally in sight, the nausea returned ten-fold. Shin found himself crashing to his knees as he vomited on the pavement, the retching and dry heaving making it progressively harder to concentrate.

When he was once again able to regain his senses, he looked up dazedly to find a previously unnoticed street sign. The familiar name wakened Shin's higher brain ability.

It clicked, just on the street facing the end of this wall, lived Kurosaki, his recently re-made friend. He could have kissed the pavement had it been in a better state.

Dragging himself up he managed to avoid his re-emerged dinner, and once again cling to the wall to move, his concentration on reaching his goal temporarily outweighing his pain.

By the time he reached the end of the wall he was shaking from the effort. But just across the rundown street he could clearly see Kurosaki's house, nothing different from the other houses, but to Shin it could have been a palace.

Once again taking as deep a breath as his battered chest would allow, he pushed off from the wall, managing three steps before he plummeted to the ground, feeling increasingly weighed down by the rain.

Knowing that he had to reach the door, Shin crawled pathetically, broken arm trailing uselessly by his side, his hand being torn by the pavement.

After what seemed to be an age, he reached the gray door of his sanctuary and practically slammed himself against it. He knocked desperately whilst fighting unconsciousness. He could feel the edges of his mind slip away as he desperately knocked.

He could hear vague movement inside, as if suspicious. Leaning all his weight on the door he did the only thing he could think of, a thing that if he wasn't let in and his enemies were close enough, would surely spell his downfall. He took a deep breath, and screamed.

"KUUROOOO-" and fell further against the door, vision swirling and darkening.

Kuro had got back from his measly paying job hours ago, and since then had been watching some very un-thrilling TV. As it was now ten, he was beginning to think the evening wasted as he turned off the tele, only to hear the sound of something slamming his door. The slamming was followed by some insistent knocking.

Around these parts you could never be sure who was at your door, the houses didn't come with peepholes in the doors either. He stayed still until the knocking became increasingly persistent. Quietly he got up and moved to the door. The only friendly people that visited him were Shin, Uchi, his mother and very occasionally the guilty volleyball teacher, and all of them announced who they were at the door.

He moved to the door as the knocking stopped, followed by a desperate cry of his name.

"KUUROOOO-" Kuro jumped, although he recognized the voice as Shin's, it was very harsh, and Shin _never_ allowed himself to sound desperate.

Coming out of his shock he wrenched the door open, only to desperately catch the falling figure of his friend in his arms.

Shin whimpered as Kuro grabbed him tighter and slammed the door shut, locking it. He acted quickly, half dragging half carrying his beaten friend to the couch and laying him there.

"Fuck Shin, you're a mess." He looked awful, school clothes torn and battered as if they had done the attacker a personal grief. Blood trailed sickeningly slowly down his face from a cut by his hairline, it was certainly going to bruise. Other then that his face seemed relatively undamaged, apart from a cut on his lip. Kuro could barely stand the fact that his friend had been in enough pain to bite that hard.

Continuing his inspection, he found a few patches of dark red on his friend's soaked torso where the skin had broken and blood seeped through.

"Shit." at this point Kuro decided to leave his friend in favor of retrieving the lacking and depleted first aid kit. Upon returning he found Shin looking at him with heavily lidded, glazed eyes.

"How _you_ of all people got into this, I don't know. But you've certainly succeeded in getting some punishment." Kuro proceeded to tearing of Shin's jacket and T-shirt, carefully cutting down the sleeves so they could be easily removed. He was used to treating fight wounds, to an extent they all were.

However, when Shin hissed and flinched away as he moved to his right arm, he grew concerned, so far he had been a model patient. Going to touch it again, Shin flung his other arm out, slapping away Kuro's hand and looking at him pointedly.

"What, cat got your tongue Shin?" Kuro questioned mildly as he placed his other hand on Shin's other arm to remove it.

"My arms broken." Shin coughed out dryly. Kuro frowned, this would be harder to deal with then the other bruises and cuts.

"I still have to look at it, just bear with it for a bit okay." Shin nodded vaguely as he winced and clung to the sofa when Kuro once again touched the arm.

Carefully removing the sleeve, Kuro could see just why it had hurt. The bone had broken through the skin, forcing Shin's arm into an abnormal position and bleeding steadily, almost defiantly. The blood ran down shin's arm and joined with the trickles of blood coming through from the torn skin on his hand.

"Fuck. Shin I can't treat this, we have to get you to a hospital." Kuro saw his friend pale as he groaned, once again biting his lip.

"Don't call an ambulance, call Uchi, h-he can drive."

"Yeah he can drive, a scooter! How're you gonna get to a hospital in _that_?"

"You have to come too, otherwise they'll work it out."

"Who will work what out, Shin stop kidding around right now." Kuro couldn't believe that the usually sensible Shin had lost his wits.

"My attackers, they'll be looking for me. If you c-call an ambulance they'll know where you live."

"Fine! But I'm only doing this cos I know you wont budge, sometimes you should think of yourself you know, cos when you get hurt were the ones who have to take care of you."

Shin smiled weakly as Kuro kept ranting, searching for his phone and ringing Uchi. When the phone call reached Uchi, Shin noticed the room becoming fuzzier and swirling, as if his eyes couldn't focus. 'Crap, this aint good." He thought vaguely.

"Uchi, It's Kuro, I need your help. No I'm fine, It's Shin. Yeah he was attacked and his arms broken, we have to get him to hospital. I was going to but he said his attackers would still be looking for him. Yes _I_ know It's a stupid idea, yes I know we aren't exactly going to fit on your bike. Well we have to try, you know he's stubborn-"

"K-Kuro"

"Hang on Uchi. Yes what is it Shin?" Kuro vaguely looked to the source of the voice, noticing Shin shifting uncomftably.

"I th-think I ha-have a f-fever..." Shin trailed off as his world turned black.

"Fuck!" Kuro exclaimed as he rushed towards the shaking figure, touching his forehead briefly before pulling away at the heat.

"Kuro, Kuro? What's going on? Kuro?" Came Uchi's confused voice over the phone.

"Uchi get here now!" Kuro ended the call before rushing to get cold water and a cloth.

"Just hang in there Shin, please." They had become friends again too recently for anything bad to happen. Kuro carefully dabbed his friend's bruised face and chest with the cold water, begging for Uchi to hurry up as Shin struggled and moaned.

It seemed like hours until Kuro heard the unhealthy noises of Uchi's scooter. He ran to the door and practically dragged Uchi inside as he knocked, much the same as he had done for his other friend that night.

"What took you, he's gotten worse." Uchi stood in shock for a moment as he saw Shin before running to his friend's side.

"Kuro what happened? He's a mess!"

"Here, help me, we've gotta get him into a jacket if he's gonna travel." Uchi lifted Shin up and lent him against himself as Kuro begun slipping Shin's broken arm into the sleeve of a trench coat. The movement of the limb caused Shin to yelp and flinch away as he came-to.

"W-what's, Uchi?" Shin asked dazedly as he noticed the blond hair through the fuzziness.

"It's me Shin, just hang on alright." Uchi shot a worried look at Kuro before gazing back at his incoherent friend.

"Huh ah!" Shin cried as the sleeve slipped past the break, leaning into Uchi as his friend gripped his shoulders.

"Be more careful wont you?" Hissed Uchi.

"You want to try? It's not that easy?" Shin breathed heavily, head swimming as the jacket went over his other arm and over his shoulders.

"Okay, done. Let's just get him to the hospital in one piece." 'Why do I always have to be the bad guy, Uchi and Shin always get to play the nice friend when the others hurt.' Kuro thought irritably as he picked up Shin, mindful of his injuries.

"Okay, put him on." Uchi commanded from the front of the bike. "Then it's _your_ job to make sure he doesn't fall off."

"I know, you just concentrate on not crashing and sending us _all_ to the hospital." The two fell easily back into their bickering to mask the tension as Uchi kicked the vehicle into gear and zoomed off as fast as the scooter would allow.

It was not a comfortable trip, and Kuro was sure that had they been going slow enough, they would be getting some very weird looks. What with the three of them being squashed together and Shin sandwiched between them, at any other time would surely have ad the three cracking up. However, Shin's uncontrolled shaking and occasional whimpers of pain brought them back to the harsh reality as they zoomed towards their goal.

:Please let me know ya thoughts, shadowtheo:


	2. Chapter 2

::Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own imagination::

::Warning: There will be _no_ shinkumi in this fic, I cannot write it and will not attempt to, she will be in it, but only as her goofy, teacher, Ojou self::

Don't Sleep It Away:2 Here To Help.

By the time the trio had finally reached the hospital, Uchi had road rage, Shin looked like a ghost save for the unhealthy blush on his cheeks, and Kuro was fearing for his _own _life with Uchi's driving.

They parked as close as they could to the hospitals entrance, earning themselves some strange looks and shouts from the present medical staff.

"Okay Shin, just hang on. Uchi! Help me out would ya!" Kuro yelled through the downpour as he dragged the carcass of a half conscious Shin from the bike.

"I don't want to leave my scooter here, anyone of these guys could take it!" Uchi gestured wildly at the medical staff, all of which were hanging back in shock.

"Uchi, it's a hospital!"

"Fine! But if it gets stolen I'm holding _you_ solely responsible."

"Guys, h-hurry up." Shin moaned pathetically in an annoyed way. He was still shaking, and getting wetter by the second.

Uchi and Kuro spared each other frazzled glances, both half annoyed that Shin still held authority over their arguments whilst in this state. An unspoken agreement reached the two and their fight was put on hold, for now. Soon with sickening similarity the two were carrying Shin between them as they rushed for the hospital doors.

Panting as they got inside just before a clash of thunder was heard, the trio were soon surrounded by medical staff who evidently recognised an emergency when they saw one.

"How long has he been outside?" Questioned one in medical scrubs whilst another felt Shin's forehead.

"Errr-" Uchi begun, but was soon cut off.

"He's spiking a fever, someone get some cooling packs!"

"Was he fighting?"

"Did you find him or were you with him when this happened?"

"Does he have concussion?"

"Hello? Stay with us if you can?"

"Can you tell me your name?"

"Can you tell us his name?"

"Where are those cooling packs?"

"Someone check for his pulse!"

Uchi and Kuro stood there with their mouths open, unsure what to answer first, or if they should answer at all. It was hard to tell if the questions were directed at them, Shin, or the surrounding staff, of which many seemed unnecessary.

Shin's eyes fluttered close as he tried to block out the pounding noise and concentrate on breathing, which seemed to be becoming increasingly complicated.

Kuro concentrated on Shin as he saw his friend's obvious discomfort, Uchi was trying to answer the questions of a harassing women in scrubs.

One of the medics reached out to check a pulse, grabbing Shin's broken arm in the process. Shin's jerk and following cry of pain were all it took to set the already on-edge Kuro off.

"What're you doing?" His fist connected with the medic's face before he could think of the consequences.

"Call yourself a doctor?!" Kuro yelled as he protectively held Shin's shoulders.

"K-Kuro, st-stop it." Shin called out weakly as Kuro glared at the offending attending sprawled on the floor.

"What on earth is going on?" A professional looking, lab coat-wearing doctor appeared amongst the melee.

"Emergency, just came in-"

"Yes I can see that thank you." Came the terse reply. "Has anyone thought to get him to a room, cool him down, check his pulse?" The quiet shuffling seemed all the answer the doctor needed as she bent to examine Shin. After scanning him and feeling his forehead, she also moved to his right, and broken, arm, which was nearest.

Upon Shin's automatic and, to Shin at least, unwanted flinch, the Doctor looked questionably at Kuro. She evidently expected an answer, and as Uchi was still busy, now filling in an excessively long questionnaire, Kuro deemed it upon himself to answer.

"His arm's broken, I err, don't know how." The doctor easily accepted this, and carefully pressed Shin's neck for a pulse instead, his other arm being blocked by Kuro's protective stance.

"Alright, lets get him stable. Come on take him to a room." The doctor seemed to note Kuro's panic as his friend was prised from his grasp, loaded onto a gurney and wheeled away. The look on Shin's face was of a apprehensive fear that had been distorted by the fever, and Kuro did not want to leave him alone. Shin was rarely this hurt, and Kuro wasn't sure how to act. Uchi seemed to share his friend's apprehensiveness as he dawdled around Kuro.

"Alright you two, you'll have to stay out until we're finished fixing him up, wait in the waiting room around the corner and I'll come fetch you when were done." Her words were spoken kindly, but with the authority of someone who will see no rules broken, she reminded Uchi of a less ditzy Yankumi as she followed the gurney down a corridor.

The wait seemed to take hours, and was depressing as hell. The two had nothing to distract themselves from the weeping going on around them from distraught family members. They only other items in the waiting rooms were pamphlets holding titles such as: _So you've experienced a close personal death_, _What to do when the end is nigh_ and _Pregnancy tips, for him and her_. None of which were the least bit comforting or reassuring. Indeed after Uchi had returned from reading the titles he was just as pale as Shin.

After what seemed an age, the doctor from earlier re-approached them.

"He's stable now, but we will have to keep him for at least the night for precaution. You can see him now."

"Thank you Doctor." Kuro managed to rasp out as Uchi dashed for the room.

Shin was a combination of both better and worse. Now that he had been cleaned up he was certainly improved. However the effect of the plasters and bandages combined with the hospital gown that had replaced his uniform gave off such a foreign feel, that he barely looked like Shin at all.

Uchi and Kuro stood a foot from the bed, unsure of what to do next, the sleeping Shin gave no input to help their decision either.

"He kind of looks...broken." Uchi said in a quietly surprised way.

"Well his arm _was_ broken baka." Kuro replied equally quietly.

Uchi broke the following silence.

"Should we wake him up?"

"Of course not! It's not like we'd be able to anyway!"

Another silence was also broken by Uchi, who did not seem capable of deep thought at the moment.

"What do you think happened? Who got him? Who'd want to get him?"

"If I knew that, do you reckon I'd still be here talking about it as oppose to teaching them a lesson they wouldn't forget?"

"Okay sorry!...But even if we _did_ know...wouldn't you stay here until he wakes up? I mean, I've never seen him hurt like this...he looks so...delicate." Uchi seemed to be picking his words with great care, as though searching for the right ones that he couldn't grasp.

"Yeah, I know what you mean...kinda fragile almost." Uchi seemed a bit relieved that Kuro shared his view. As far as Kuro remembered this was the only time that they had spoken in such a way, usually it was a fight or hilarity.

Indeed Shin did fit the descriptions, Kuro thought as he watched the sleeping form. Bandaged and bruised Shin had his lips slightly parted, hair draped casually across his face as oppose to its normal pristine, and generally looked peacefully innocent. It was although his injuries were a great evil that happened suddenly and overnight, not in a gang fight in which Shin probably caused several injuries of his own.

Kuro felt a strange desire to protect his beaten friend, and judging by the intense look that Uchi was wearing, he had come to about the same conclusion, although the fire in his chocolate eyes seemed to show as great of a desire to cast revenge on Shin's enemies, as to protect him from them.

'That's fine with me.' Thought Kuro. 'I've done enough destruction, let someone else do it, I can do some of the healing for once.' The thought seemed to spur the feeling of protection, and Kuro finally advanced to the bed and sat in one of the plastic chairs, now understanding his friends comment about waiting for Shin to wake up, to be there for him. After all, he needed to make up for the time that he deserted them, when they so willingly accepted him back.

Uchi also sat in a chair on the opposite side of the bed. They shared a glance that displayed the trio's fierce friendship, and reached an unspoken agreement to wait for Shin...even if it meant a promise of painful backache from sleeping in hard plastic chairs.

Several hours later, the sky begun to lighten heralding daybreak. How Uchi had actually managed to sleep on the chairs was entirely beyond Kuro. However his stares of disbelief were put on hold as he saw Shin's eyes blinking open.

Shin stared blearily at the world as his eyes focused, glancing around he saw Kuro looking at him cautiously.

"How're you feeling?" The stony look from Shin was evidently as much of an answer as he would get Kuro thought as he sighed. He didn't know what he had been expecting, maybe for some break in Shin's stone wall defence that prevented all from reading his mood.

Unbeknown to Kuro, Shin was thinking the exact opposite. About how easily Hat-chan had been able to predict him and get to him. It was ironic, Shin thought, that the one person he hated being able to read him was the one that could read him so easily, and was the one person he tried extra hard to block himself from.

Shin winced slightly as he touched the bandage on his temple, the headache he had had last night had gone down, but his head still pounded slightly, as if in defiance to the painkillers.

"What, so we get you all the way here and worry endlessly, and you can't even tell me how you are?" Kuro felt slightly indignant at the cold reception he had received from his friend.

"Sorry, I don't mean to make you worry."

"Then why do you make me?" It was Kuro's turn to star pointedly at Shin now, clearly showing him his annoyance.

"Well, what do you want me to say?" Shin looked confused, he had forgotten about Kuro's long term battle to get him to open up, it reminded him of Yankumi slightly. He was kind of touched, but he had been bottled up for so many years due to his over-powering father and hate of teachers, and people, that he had forgotten how to be so open.

His confusion must have, for once, showed as Kuro smiled slightly as if reading his mind, and answered the unspoken question.

"Does your arm hurt?" Kuro was happy to be patient with Shin if he was going to make an effort.

"No, it's numb, my head hurts though." Shin answered as he shrugged slightly and looked at a distant wall.

"Could be worse, at least you still have a head." Commented the newly awakened Uchi in all seriousness.

"Baka! Don't say things like that!" Kuro cried astonished as Shin smirked and rolled his eyes.

As they laughed the sky lightened and the three looked at each other, knowing that this would fall into their category of memories comftorbly.

They were disturbed by the entrance of the doctor.

"Well you seem to be feeling better at least, let's take a look at you." Kuro noticed Shin becoming quiet again, gazing once more at a far off sight, but with a slightly dead look. Uchi was looking out the window, as if to provide Shin with some small privacy.

Shin sat up as instructed, allowed the doctor to check his heart, breathing, and various injuries, but otherwise giving no indication of his thoughts.

"You'll be fine, I'll give you some changes of bandages, and some cream to make the swelling go down." She checked a clipboard a couple of times in a business like manner and turned back to Shin.

"Well you're free to leave now, that is if your feeling okay?" She posed the question in a concerned manner, Shin still answered it as if speaking to a brick wall.

"I'm fine."

"He had a headache earlier." Kuro informed the doctor in Shin's place, who looked relieved at the input, and quickly smiled.

"That's normal after a hit to the head, don't worry." Shin continued to stare dead ahead.

"Okay, you can go home now but would one or both of you please accompany him until he's with his family? We don't like people to be alone right when they leave." Of course, the doctor did not know that Shin lived on his own. Kuro was quick to agree with the doctor, whilst Uchi seemed offended that she thought he would just dump Shin somewhere, Shin gave no reaction.

After returning Shin's washed clothes she left the trio alone. Kuro and Uchi left the room whilst Shin changed, and the three of them exited the hospital.

Thankfully the scooter was still in place.

"So... you up to school Shin?" Uchi questioned calmly as he started the scooter. He did not react to the lack of a response from Shin as he carefully checked the scooter.

Kuro however noticed a slight frown appear on Shin, so slight he almost didn't catch it.

"Shin?" Kuro was spared a passing glance before Shin nodded at Uchi, who had looked up. Kuro could almost believe that he had imagined the troubled look, almost.

Shin had been remembering how Hat-chan had evidently known about his school, and vaguely wondered if his gang would be together enough yet to ambush him.

Kuro sighed once more as Shin sat behind Uchi on the revving bike, yes, he would have to be patient. And with that thought he climbed on behind Shin and they headed off. Half way there Uchi made an affronted comment about some old lady gawping at them, Shin snickered, Kuro grinned, and soon they had burst into full scale laughter, causing even more of a scene.

As they pulled into Shirokin high, way early, and detached from the scooter, Uchi and Shin both looked over at Kuro.

"Errm, where are you gonna go? To school with us?"

"Don't be stupid of course not!"

"Well you certainly cant walk home."

The fact that Shin for once agreed with Uchi prompted Kuro to say he would stay. When he asked if their teacher would mind, both snorted, and Uchi explained that she wouldn't care if there was a crocodile in her classroom if it meant having another 'precious student' to teach.

With this the trio set off for the classroom.

"Ne Shin, are you okay?" Uchi asked as he noticed Shin start as a bush nearby moved.

"Hai." Shin answered shortly after, and sped up as they entered the school. To both Uchi and Kuro he seemed tense, and they shared a few questioning glances as they walked through the deserted halls that some early waking teacher had probably unlocked.

Shin seemed to calm down as they reached the room of 3D, a room that Kuro had never thought that he would go in. Within 5 minutes of sitting down, Uchi and Shin in their normal places and Kuro on a spare chair, Shin evidently tired of aimlessly staring at the black board, and took to watching outside intently.

His tension carried through the room, and Kuro and Uchi found it hard not to become startled at every noise, even though they weren't aware what they were scared of.

After half an hour of waiting, the rest of 3D entered with the bell. They stared at first at Kuro, and then at Shin's injuries.

"Wuuuh?" The entire form rushed forward with many disbelieving and angry noises at their leader's wounds. Three figures pushed to the fore front of the crowd, led by a large and intimidating figure.

"Shin! What happened? Are you okay?" Kuma asked as he barged through and placed a hand on Shin's uninjured arm, looking concernedly at his closest friend. Noda and Minami were also crowded around the three, as Shin continued to gaze out the window, sinking further into his chair.

Shin was tired, even more then he usually was at school. But he couldn't rest until he knew there was no chance of any harm coming to them. If Hat-chan was waiting and his gang was recovered then his classmates and him stood little chance, even though he did not consider them all as close as friends he wasn't going to let them come to any harm. The class had seemed to naturally accumulate to him as a leader even though he gave no show of being one. He supposed that it mostly sprung from his open hatred and suspiciousness of teachers.

He hated feeling weak, but as he sunk deeper into his chair, the worried voices of his friends swirling around him, he realised that he would probably be needing help for a time. The thought did not annoy him as much as he thought it would, because Kuro was right, he had to be in a fit state to help if he wanted to be able to help his friends.

The faint pounding in his head remained as Kuro cut across his line of vision to peer at him cautiously, and ask in a whisper if he was alright, as if loud voices would break another bone.

Shin ceased his intense gazing at the bushes as the door slid open and Yankumi walked in. He immediately lent forward on his good arm and sunk onto the desk, partly to get some needed rest, and partly to escape from having to listen to Yankumi causing a scene.

He knew that Hat-chan wouldn't stand a chance against her, gang and all, she would look after them all as she always promised while he slept.

As he drifted off he imagined tat his logic was skewed, he was happy to let her defend the classroom, but he could not bring himself to tell her of the problem that she could easily solve, it was too personal. Why cause them to worry more anyway? And with these thoughts Shin tumbled into troubled sleep, full of rabbits and chains, and maniacal laughter.

Kuro could guess why Shin had chosen this moment to fall asleep, he well remembered the powerful teacher. As Yankumi pushed to the front of the silent crowd and stared dimly at Shin's bandages and bruises, she shot Uchi a questioning glance, who merely shrugged. Her eyes widened still at the sight of Kuro, but shock was soon replaced by a girly grin.

"Could it be that you were so inspired by me that you had to become a student in secret! A daring tale of romance-!"

"NO! I'm just here for him." Kuro swiftly cut of the teacher's disturbing rant and focused on the dozing Shin.

"Oh. Well. Lets begin!" Groans were unanimous as she quickly returned to her normal hyper state and pranced to the desk. Anybody from the Oedo clan however, would note a glint of Ojou in her eyes, as she casually glanced at the door and out the window, seemingly understanding that this was no trivial brawl Shin had gotten himself into.

Kuro spared Shin another glance, he had forgotten just how good he had been at sleeping. It was a few minutes till the end of the day and neither him or Uchi had as of yet managed to wake him.

Uchi gave him one more shake of the shoulder however, and Shin's eyes fluttered open as he dragged himself into an upright position, yawning in a cat-like manner.

Shin glanced at the clock as the bell went and begun to get up and slink off unnoticed, however, Noda, Minami and Kuma followed along with Kuro and Uchi.

Shin spared Yankumi a glance and a nod before disappearing. She seemed to accept that her work, for now, was over, and also packed up.

Knowing that Hat-chan wouldn't be stupid enough to start a fight in such a public place, Shin led the group through the grounds and out of Shirokin high.

Kuma once again put a hand on Shin's arm and asked if he was okay.

"I'm fine Kuma, you don't always have to worry." Shin said honestly and even gave Kuma a small smile to ease his nerves. This was seemingly premature however. As they strolled through an empty play park, Uchi walking along behind with his scooter, an arm followed by a body appeared from behind a slide and grabbed onto Shin's broken arm.

Shin did not seem to notice until he was yanked off to the side into three more bodies and held securely.

"Quick! Someone call Hat-chan, say we've got him!" Shin recognised the thin side kick from yesterday and immediately struggled, earning himself a punch to the stomach.

"Let him go!" As Shin sagged against his captors and coughed, he saw Kuma dash forward followed by Kuro.

Kuma's fist connected with the third body and quickly tackled him. Kuro also wrenched another man off Shin and fell into a brawl.

Uchi ran and charged into the one making the phone call, breaking the mobile in the process. Minami ran forward, and Shin thought with slight cheer that he had not forgotten Shin coming to his own rescue before. However, as Minami rose his fist, Shin felt himself being jerked up, and soon, once again, felt his friend's fist smash his own head to the side.

Noda however attacked almost simultaneously as Minami, and managed to wrestle Shin out of the thin man's grasp.

Kuma had managed to successfully knock out his much smaller and thinner opponent, and quickly aided Minami. Noda clutched onto Shin, keeping him upright and breathing as the fight begun to end.

Kuma and Minami made quick work of the thin one and split up to finish of the other two that were being pinned effectively.

As soon as his victim as out Kuro dashed to Shin and Noda, taking over the task of holding Shin upright.

"Are you okay?" He asked franticly, clutching Shin's shoulders as he gasped.

Shin's head pounded as he gasped, stomach burning with the effect of being hit in an already bruised area and his arm stung painfully from being grabbed. Luckily due to the cast, no further damage was made.

As his breathing returned to normal he felt himself being dragged to Uchi's scooter.

"You guys better run." At the affronted looks that Kuro received from this comment he tried to rephrase, only too find no need to.

"Yeah, well take care of him don't worry." Uchi answered truthfully, easing the others fears.

"I-I'll be fine." Shin breathed out, looking at the still unsure Kuma. Kuro still supported most of Shin's weight as Uchi started the scooter. In his already weakened state Shin seemed to have suffered quite a shock, Kuro wasn't surprised as he leant heavily against him.

As Kuro helped Shin on to the infernal vehicle, Minami stepped forward and stood by Shin.

"Gomen Shin." He said earnestly.

"It's fine." Shin managed to half smile as he said it, though he felt like doing anything but. The three watched the others run off before they started the scooter and zoomed off once more.

"Where to?"

"My house, Its probably safest anyway." Kuro answered as they swerved at a bend. Shin glanced around warily as the went, hating feeling weak, but knowing that he would recover eventually. If he kept out of Hat-chan's grasp anyway.

"Alright, I think it's time we got some answers, right Uchi?"

"Yeah, this isn't a normal attack right?"

Shin stared at Kuro's wall from the sofa, knowing he'd have to come clean after the recent events, and before someone else was hurt.

"Don't keep this to yourself Shin. We're your friends for a reason."

Looking at the honesty in Kuro's eyes, Shin felt his walls crumbling a little more. As Yankumi said, it's okay to show weakness sometimes.

Trying to find the right place to start, Shin relaxed into the sofa, sighing softly and looking at the floor.

"Maybe you should sleep? We can hear it tomorrow right?" Uchi questioned of Kuro as he saw how tired Shin was.

"No! We let him sleep now and he block himself off again!"

"That makes no sense baka!" Kuro ignored the reply from Uchi and turned to Shin, kneeling by the sofa and looking into his eyes intently. Those eyes that seemed lost and broken.

"Don't sleep it away Shin, don't shut us out of your life. Don't sleep away your problems, only to die a little more each morning that you can't talk to someone." Shin looked back into Kuro's eyes, he thought of the times that he had become lonely in his house and had decided just to sleep, never asking anyone to come over or to go out, and how tired he always felt in the mornings.

Seeing nothing but friendship and worry in Kuro's eyes, Shin shifted nervously and took a deep breath.

"Okay." Kuro's smile further encouraged Shin, who had not really talked about his last school to anyone. Uchi looked surprised that Kuro ad succeeded in getting Shin to open up.

"It was at my last school that I met him, Hatori... or Hat-chan to us. Everything happened fast then, I was only there for one semester before I was expelled, but that was enough."

::thanks for reading::

::please let me know ya thoughts, shadowtheo::


	3. Chapter 3

::Disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination::

::Warning: Mild swearing and mild harassment- I think...::

Don't Sleep It Away:3 Whatever It Takes.

"Hat-chan was the leader of a gang at that school, mostly of the 'worthless' students. I first fell in there because of my hate of teachers, they all had similar sentiments." This part of the tale was unsurprising, Shin had just fell in with the wrong crowd as a mistake of youth.

"He was in first year too, and at first the group was small, just gathering to share frustrations. Soon however, the idea became more popular and other years begun to join in too. There was never any dispute of Hat-chan being in control, he was strong and a good leader." Shin spoke with a dead, haunting voice, distancing himself from the present as he became lost in his own memories.

"Hat-chan was a good guy at first, looking out for his friends and taking care of the people that had been picked on by the teachers. But the more people that joined the more power hungry he got. He would talk to us as more of a leader of an army then a friend. He became twisted, bringing people who were favoured by teachers to the meetings to be beat up. Nobody was allowed to leave, he would call us his 'collection' and give everyone nicknames of how he saw us."

"Nicknames?" Kuro was evidently confused, this conversation was taking an unexpected turn. It slightly disgusted him.

"What was yours?" Uchi asked with some hilarity.

"...Bunny." Shin growled out.

"Bunny!" Uchi snorted until he noticed the darkness in Shin's eyes and Kuro's glare, and quickly decided it wasn't funny.

"The most loyal to him would often go out on little excursions to beat people up, he would only let those that were more thug-like go with him."

"What were you doing through all of this?" Uchi asked with some accusation in his voice.

"I was still there, I didn't want to leave as they presented me with some kind of freedom, but also trapped me. The longer I stayed, the more Hat-chan liked me. We had been friends at the beginning, but then he became distracted from the first individuals and more friendly with the more aggressive, older ones. When everything was becoming patterned, he begun to pay more attention to the original crowd, and those that he wouldn't let go out fighting with him." Shin paused slightly.

"That was when he begun to call us 'his' collection. The meetings would be longer and longer, he would talk to people as individuals again, afterwards calling them by a different name. Nearly all were types of rodents."

"Why rodents?" Uchi really had to get off the whole nickname thing, thought Kuro mildly.

"I asked him once." Shin answered softly, becoming lost in the memories that he tried not to think of.

_The younger Shin watched as Hat-chan drew nearer him. He had been wondering when he would be talked to, he was just about the only one of the originals that hadn't been. Though he had often seen Hat-chan staring at him in meetings._

_"Why always rodents?" Shin wasted no time in asking as Hat-chan sat down across from him._

_"That's not much of a greeting, but that's why I like you." He looked thoughtfully at Shin, as if deciding something._

_"Why, Hat-chan." The other beamed at the use of his nickname, putting his arm over Shin's shoulder._

_"Because that's what they are, small, delicate, that's why they cant go out with me."_

_"I'm not delicate." Shin protested in an offended manner._

_"They need to be taken care of. So do you, you're precious."_

_"What if they don't want to be taken care of." The subtle meanings were not lost to Hat-chan, who grinned once more and looked at Shin as if he were a prized possession._

_"But I always take care of my possessions Shin. And you strike me as a bunny." Shin jerked away in surprise, staring lividly at Hat-chan._

_"_I_, am _not_ your bunny Hat-chan."_

_"Don't you see though, bunnies are my favourite animal, and you're definitely my favourite, Shin. Or should I say, Bunny." He grinned at Shin's horrified look, and walked away._

"But isn't a bunny a rodent?" Uchi asked hesitantly. Kuro was staring at Shin in confusion, this was all very weird.

"He wasn't lying though. He was always looking at me, not just in meetings, but all through class, in the corridors, in the changing room." Shin ranted becoming flustered and agitated. Taking short breaths and looking around the room without really taking it in.

"It became more like a gang by the day, but they never did anything around the teachers, so no one could get the goods on them. It was so ironic that the dislike of teachers was what brought us together, and then teachers to be the only hope we had of leaving the group. Those who just didn't turn up had horrible 'accidents' that would leave them in the hospital for several weeks."

"Why did you stay?" Kuro was genuinely curious at the answer.

"I guess a part of me didn't want to leave. I still wanted to believe that he would go back to being the friend that I first met. I was an idiot."

"Did he ever do anything to you?" Uchi asked fiercely. His fists were clenched tight, the anger clearly visible. There was a noticeable pause.

"Only at the end, the day before I got expelled."

_"Shin, stay behind wont you?" Hat-chan asked Shin calmly. Shin knew better then to disagree. So at the end of the gang's meeting, when thugs and 'possessions' had both left he stayed and stared off, waiting._

_"I hear that teacher hasn't apologised to your friend yet, I'd be angry too." It was a lame attempt, and both knew it, Shin made no reaction, as he had taken to doing recently, Hat-chan shifted._

_"You know that you only have to call me Hat-chan, right?" He knelt in front of where Shin was slouching by the wall and gazed at him intently, as if trying to make him understand his universe through a single glance._

_Shin looked back at Hat-chan curiously, this seemed to encourage him to go on._

_"I've never asked you to do anything, and never will, if you just call me Hat-chan."_

_"Why? I've heard about what you've done to some of your other possessions." Shin was angry, not only was one of his few real friends being picked on, but Hat-chan didn't care, he would've a few weeks ago, he'd gone too far._

_"Because it sounds so flawless when you say it, whenever anyone else says it, it sounds disgusting." Shin saw the dangerous glint in his eyes and backed up a little, still sitting against the wall._

_"Don't be nervous. All you have to do is listen to me." Shin registered dully that Hat-chan had just gone back on what he had said, but he was more preoccupied worrying about the predatory gleam in the leader's eyes._

_"Won't you please say my name, your so beautiful when you say it." Shin moved back until his back was completely pressed against the wall, his knees brought up to his chest._

_Hat-chan seemed to take this as nerves rather then repulsion, and reached up to hold Shin's cheek, in a manner that he evidently thought was comforting. Shin's flinch went unregistered._

_"Say it, please. I'd never hurt you." The repulsion on the nowadays stoic face must have shown, Hat-chan's hand tightly gripped Shin, fingernails digging into his face as he screamed._

_"SAY IT!" Hand moving to tug Shin's hair roughly. Shin's panic brought him to open his mouth._

_"H-Hat-chan." Shin hated how scared he sounded, but scared he was._

_"Ahhh, that's better." His own name seemed to act as an aphrodisiac. The hand stopped tugging his hair and begun to stroke it, as if Shin was a good pet._

_"St-stop it Hat-chan." This seemed to have the opposite of the desired effect however, Hat-chan seemed to take it as Shin's acceptance. He pulled the shaking figure closer, mumbling words that Shin didn't want to hear._

_"Stop it, please!" He almost begged, his eyes felt hot and stingy at the onset of tears. He felt Hat-chan's hand slip to the front of his uniform and he lost it._

_"GET OFF!" He yelled as he kicked the attacker off him and stood up shakily._

_Hat-chan seemed to realise his mistake, that he had gone too far, and quickly stood up, hands held up placatingly._

_"It's okay Bunny, clam down, didn't I say I wouldn't hurt you!" He reeled off quickly._

_"You just fucking did basterd!" Shin screamed, backing away._

_"I told you to call me Hat-chan! I just didn't want to loose you filthy rabbit!" With that he swung his fist at Shin, sending him falling to the ground. Hat-chan froze, Shin grunted as he got up, head bleeding slightly from hitting the floor._

_"You just did Hat-chan." And he stalked out before breaking into a run, hearing Hat-chan scream behind him._

_"I'm sorry! Bunny come back!"_

"The next day I got expelled for hitting the teacher that had been picking on my friend. I'll never forgive teachers for putting me in that position, their all selfish." Shin looked dead slumped against the couch, trembling slightly from disguised emotion.

Kuro stared at his friend, and wanted nothing more then to heal the broken figure behind the walls, but he didn't know how. Feeling the tears prickling his own eyes in Shin's place he jerked forward and pulled Shin into a fierce hug. It was not returned, but neither was it broken.

He glanced over at Uchi who had begun to rub Shin's back, even though he was showing no signs of crying. The two shared a look, Uchi looked about ready to kill the person who had nearly molested his friend, the one who had caused him to look a little more dead. Kuro was now sure that he wasn't going to let Shin leave. 'thank god it's a weekend tomorrow.' He thought dully, still clinging to the unresponsive Shin.

Feeling his tears beginning to fall Kuro choked out.

"Come on Shin, your the one who should be crying, give us some work dammit!" As the infernal tears fell, Kuro felt Shin reach up and pat his head deftly, offering his friend comfort even as he continued to shiver slightly.

"God no wonder you hate teachers, I would too." Kuro commented to distract himself from his grief.

"It's not just because of that, I hate them for what that sports teacher did to you too." As Shin spoke slowly and honestly, Uchi pulled Shin from Kuro, turned him around, and at Shin's questioning glance, poked him hard in the eye.

"Ah! B-baka!" Shin said as he covered his eye and wiped the water from it.

"Now start crying or I'll poke the other one too!" Uchi said harshly, raising his finger in a threatening manner.

Shin started to laugh, the laugh getting choked halfway though as he let out a soft sob.

"It's only shameful to cry, if your crying for a shameful reason. It's braver to not be afraid of your emotions." Uchi said softly, Kuro went wide eyed at the wise remark. Shin sniffed, taking the deep yet shallow breaths that heralded tears, and looked down as they begun to fall, wiping the away with a shaking hand.

"It did suck." Shin sobbed in a slightly laughing manner, only to be grabbed by Uchi into a playful glomp that he soon clung to.

Uchi smirked at Kuro as he spoke encouraging phrases to the crying Shin. Kuro scowled. It seemed that as much as Shin needed practice showing emotions, he needed practice helping him with them. He watched Uchi shaking Shin playfully and managing to get another sob-like laugh from him as he smiled at a joke. Kuro was happy at the moment that Shin was smiling, and soon joined in with the joke of Shin looking like a baka when he cried.

Kuro was the first to wake up in the morning, no longer being able to bear Uchi's snores. Which he could hear from the other room.

Uchi himself slept merrily on the sofa, whilst Shin was on the spare futon. Kuro didn't know how he could stand the noise.

Noticing a distinct lack of anything to eat he left swiftly, not bothering to leave a note he headed for town.

Kuro strolled lazily around the streets, his mind focused on what he had chosen to call 'Shin's rabbit problem'. This was mostly so that if he begun talking out loud, no one would suspect, no one at all.

Shin was the last person out of his few friends that he would've thought to have had a past like that. Of course now that it'd happened, it seemed glaringly obvious. I explained not only Shin's natural distrust of most people, but also his aversion to being touched by strangers, such as the doctor in the hospital they brought him to.

Kuro sighed at his feet as he moved along. As if the impending problem with the 'now' Hat-chan wasn't enough, they had to free Shin from the clutches of the past one in his mind. And Kuro didn't know if his tormented friend could take much work on his brain. The actual incident could have been a lot worse of course, Kuro was no stranger to the idea of what could have happened. However, having never told this incident to anyone, Kuro was sure Shin had managed to damage himself further by just keeping it to himself with his solution to most aspects of life, sleeping.

Kuro was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't notice the figure speeding towards him, until they collided.

The two tumbled to the ground, Kuro growled slightly as he opened his eyes to find his friends' ditsy teacher sprawled on top of him, shopping all around them.

"A-ah! Kurosaki!" she flustered out whilst beginning to gather what looked like a lifetime supply of ready meals. Kuro helped her deftly, wondering how someone could be such an idiot and yet so together at different times.

Having collected the shopping, the two ended up walking the same way. He didn't know what made him do it, but suddenly Kuro found himself seeking help from the teacher.

"Yankumi?" She looked surprised but altogether pleased by the careless use of her nickname. She turned her attention to him as a signal to continue.

"How do fix something that's broken?" She looked surprised by his questioned but answered none the less.

"With super glue of course!" Kuro ignored the obvious tone.

"But, what if it's broken into lots of tiny pieces, and you don't know what goes where, and where to start, and it seems as if you can never fix it completely?" Kuro was well aware of the slightly desperate tone to his voice, but couldn't care less. Yankumi's voice was kind as she spoke.

"Then you start with what you can do, and fix it piece by piece, and eventually it wont be broken anymore. And if you can't do it by yourself, the get someone to help you, and then it'll be easier." Kuro looked at her, surprised by the straight answer. She smiled softly.

The smile was soon replaced however by a frightening look of disastrous enlightenment. Kuro shrank back slightly.

"Kurosaki! We must go and buy you lots of superglue!"

"What! Why!" Unfortunately Kuro wasn't aware of how she got when filled with an idea.

"So you can fix your broken object!" She cried, and whilst striking a heroic pose and yelling that they should 'sweat out their hearts together' or something, dragged off the struggling and appalled Kuro.

Back at Kuro's house, Uchi awoke from a deep sleep with a start. The banging on the door continued as he listened. This was not a sound that made him want to answer the door, it sounded as though someone was trying to break it down.

Not moving he glanced at the still sleeping Shin and then back at the door.

"Hurry up! If we don't get him Hat-chan'll get _us_ remember."

"Crap." Uchi muttered softly whilst starring at the door with wide eyes. For some reason after last night the threat of this Hat-chan seemed much more real, much more dangerous.

Jumping to his feet Uchi begun to drag Shin towards the next room. 'God this guy needs to lose some' he thought as he dragged, more to cover up the fact that Shin needed to put some on, he really was thin.

As faint cracks begun to appear in the wooden door Uchi realised that he was only halfway to the next room. In desperation as the door groaned Uchi grabbed Shin's shoulders tightly.

"Shin! If you never do anything for me ever again-" The door broke down to reveal two people sporting Halloween masks. "-WAKE UP!" No point in being subtle now, he thought as he swung around. Uchi wasn't going to give his friend up without a fight.

Uchi managed to raise his fist and hit one of the two, who happened to be wearing a ghoul mask. However the other managed to send Uchi to the floor before checking his groaning friend over.

Uchi turned his head to see that Shin had his eyes wide open and was staring at the oncoming attackers. Without a word his gaze shifted to Uchi and the two nodded in mutual agreement to go down fighting, or preferably not at all.

They sprang to their feet and dashed towards the attackers. Charging into one each they begun to fight for their safety. The person Shin was attacking somewhat haphazardly seemed unwilling to cause Shin much damage, a fact that Shin quickly took note of, and sent a swift kick to his stomach before wacking the head for good measure. The attacker, wearing a pig mask went down and Shin turned to see Uchi be thrown over the back of the sofa by the ghoul.

Shin bashed into him with his good side, temporarily knocking him down. Jumping the sofa he saw Uchi struggling whilst sporting a bleeding head wound.

Uchi was trying to get up when he felt a hand grab under his arm and jerk him up. Seeing a fuzzy Shin he draped his arm around his friend's neck, Shin's un-damaged arm supporting his waist as they stumbled through the next room and into the bathroom.

No longer being able to support himself through his throbbing head, Uchi sagged against Shin.

Quickly laying Uchi in the bath incase he further damage himself Shin swung around trying to come up with a plan.

As the ghoul came into view he grabbed Kuro's razor from the sink. The ghoul turned the corner to see Shin holding it above his wrist.

"You wouldn't." He was met with Shin's dispassionate stare. "I'll just kill your friend and then carry you to Hat-chan if you do!". Shin pressed lightly on his wrist with the small blade, extracting a tiny trickle of blood without a sound, clearly showing his determination.

"I will kill him!" the ghoul was worried, Shin could tell.

"I'd bleed out before you got me back." Shin said calmly putting a bit more pressure on, he didn't actually want to bleed to death, but this was certainly working.

"I _will_ kill him!" The resolve was waning

"And what will he do to you?" Shin spoke in an awfully dark tone. When the ghoul hesitated a bit longer Shin pressed harder on his wrist extracting more blood the before. The attacker jumped back in shock.

"Alright! Alright! But this isn't the end!" With that he ran out, as if afraid of the sight of Shin's blood. Soon the sounds of the ghoul dragging his friend through the remaining bits of the door could be heard. Then nothing.

Shin removed the blade hastily and wrapped a cloth around his freely bleeding wrist. He was just lucky he had been able to hold the razor with the hand on his broken arm.

Tying a not in the cloth, Shin turned swiftly to Uchi and shook him, gaining only a groan in response he begun to dab at the wound on his friend's head. Wondering where on earth Kuro was.

Kuro dragged his feet as he returned home, ladened with a life times supply of super glue courtesy of Yankumi. As he rounded the corner to his house he saw the wreckage that was the door.

Sprinting forwards he saw a bundle on the door stop. Moving closer he saw it was a disfigured toy rabbit in a hideous shade of pink. The toy hard been splattered with red paint that seemed to originate from the would be wrist.

"Shin..." Kuro breathed picking up the toy and looking into the house, his blood was running cold as he stepped in. He moved silently incase there was anyone unfriendly present. Moving through the destroyed sitting room he came to his bedroom, noticing the bathroom door was shut.

Softly he crept over and pulled the door open.

"Shin no!" Kuro luckily moved fast enough to prevent Shin from once again using the razor as defence.

"Kuro-"

"_What_ do you think you're doing?" It was only when Shin slumped down against the bath he noticed the blooded cloth around his wrist and Uchi unconscious in the bath. after a brief account of what had happened Kuro managed to calm down slightly.

"Was that really the only way to stop them?" Shin's meaningful glance let Kuro know that Shin hadn't purely gone suicidal. That was a relief.

"Come on, we better take Uchi to the hospital. We can take the scooter." Kuro was vaguely aware that he had probably just signed his soul over to the accursed vehicle. However, beggars couldn't be choosers, and right now Uchi needed help. Shin didn't look too hot either.

In a few minutes the three were once again speeding off on the scooter, this time with Uchi sandwiched in the middle. Once again the humour of the moment was not lost on Kuro, but was understated slightly by his hopes of Shin managing to hang on so that he and Uchi weren't both lost to the surrounding traffic.

Somehow they had to make it through this.

::Please let me know ya thoughts - they help::

::shadowtheo::


	4. Chapter 4

::Disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination::

Don't Sleep It Away: 4

The hospital looked the same as the last time as Shin and Kuro pulled up at the front. Shin's legs trembled slightly as he stood from the scooter, Kuro grabbed his shoulder gently as he took a deep breath. Both grabbed one of Uchi's arms and took him off the bike.

Shin looked into Uchi's blank face and thought about how much his friends meant to him. He always felt such an explicable need to save them, protect them. Even from forces beyond him. Maybe this was his subconscious's way of making up for his less then social qualities. Shin didn't really care. But he knew that if they asked he would run around the world for them. If that was the case, then no matter what he would protect them as best he could from the threats close at hand.

As he watched Kuro carrying Uchi through the doors, he felt a great sense of separation. That he missed them although they were right there. It wasn't a feeling he cherished. He stood still and not for the first time contemplated running into solitude. He couldn't help them here, at the hospital, and he hated being around all those too eager to probe people that worked there.

It was probably the blood loss, or slight post-traumatic-stress, but he felt that at that moment he was dying alone without them. Just when he thought he couldn't take it, Kuro turned back to look at him and flashed him a beacon of a smile, a look that told Shin clearly it's message. 'You don't always have to manage on your own, people want to help, the sooner you realise you want to let us help, the better.'

Shin didn't know how Kuro managed it, but he felt himself take a stumbled step forwards to Kuro. His friend smiled wider and quickly grasped Shin's hand before returning it to Uchi. Shin would let them help, maybe not very much very fast, but he realised he didn't want to do this all by himself. At the end of the day he wanted that person he could turn to and say that he had had a bad day to, and in return they would say 'don't worry, it's over now' even if it wasn't. Shin would keep his friends, he wouldn't run away this time.

Kuro raised his eyebrows slightly at Shin's soft smile. But he smiled softly back, deciding that this time at least, Shin's weird actions had come to a positive conclusion. So they kept moving to their goal.

Kuro panted slightly as he pulled Uchi inside the doors, his head lolling around lifelessly, and lay Uchi on the floor as he doubled over and breathed heavily, Uchi was no light weight and he was doing all the work himself.

Shin managed to turn falling to his knees into an ungraceful movement to put his hand on Uchi's bleeding head. The two were not spared any time to relax however as for the second time this week they were assaulted by the not-so-helpful attendings in scrubs.

Shin stood up and subtly moved in front of his pale friend on the floor as he heard the onslaught of questions being fired at them. Kuro moved to stand in front of them both just a few seconds before the staff came to within poking distance.

"Weren't you here a few days ago?"

"What happened to him?"

Were you there, did you see?"

"Someone call the doctor on duty!"

"Dr. Fielding! Hurry!"

"Will you move so we can look at him?"

"Please cooperate, your only making this harder."

Kuro looked behind at Shin pointedly, He urged Shin to understand through his glance not to go in front of both his friends for once. Shin evidently got the message as his eyes were disgruntled for a split second before turning around and holding Uchi's shoulder in a steadying way as he groaned.

"You three again!?" Kuro looked through the parting crowd to see the doctor from before strolling towards them, pulling on a pair of rubber gloves.

"I think he's concussed." Kuro grasped onto the fact that at least one person here wasn't a total idiot whilst pointing at Uchi. "And he." Whilst pointing at Shin. "Must have blood loss, I think."

Kuro ignored Shin's glare as the doctor moved to Uchi, not thrilled with another check up.

"Alright, someone get me a gurney, and you'll have to have at least a look over. Go with this person please." She indicated someone as the gurney rolled up.

Kuro looked at Shin, lost, as a groaning Uchi was loaded onto the stretcher. The only difference to Shin was the slight darkness in his eyes as the nurse moved towards him. He kept his eyes locked with Kuro's as he spoke.

"Go with him, he'll need you if he wakes up." The unspoken words of 'he'll need you more than I will' went unspoken, but Kuro could detect the trace of them in Shin's voice. He nodded and watched his friend get led away before following Uchi's prone form down the corridor, and once more to the waiting room.

After about half an hour of trying to once again ignore the disturbing pamphlets depicting horrifying illnesses, the doctor arrived from one direction, and a disgruntled Shin from the other.

"Alright, you can see him now. Other then a few bruises and the mild concussion he's fine. We're going to keep him overnight just to be safe." She turned a stern eye to them. "But if I were you, I'd be more careful then you've been recently. I don't know what going on, but don't give me a reason to start wondering, for your own good."

Kuro couldn't help but feel a little smaller, he had never really considered how this must look to her, to anyone. the moment was soon gone however as they entered Uchi's room to see his still form on the bed.

They were sat in a stony silence for only a few minutes before Uchi's eyes fluttered open and he gingerly touched the bandage on his head.

"What's going on?" He slurred looking slightly panicky. His dusty brown eyes flickered to each of their faces and around the room.

Just as Kuro was thinking about the possibility of having to hold him down whilst calling the doctor, Shin went and clasped Uchi's hand in his un-bandaged one. Uchi's eyes settled on Shin, as if glad for a focus point.

"We beat them Uchi, they're gone." And then with one of Shin's rare smiles he added. "Thanks."

"Mmm, no problem, anytime. Hey, let the guys know I'm here, I might get chocolate!" Uchi looked as though a whole new light had come into his world, Shin and Kuro shared a sarcastic smile.

"Yeah, that's if Kuma doesn't eat it on the way in." Shin's joke made the sleepy Uchi laugh softly before muttering something along the lines of 'he better not dare' and falling back into a peaceful sleep.

"I'm gonna get some air. Be back in a bit." Kuro said as he stood up and left the small room, Shin's piercing gaze following him until he was out of sight.

Kuro knew he shouldn't have left them, but seeing his two best friends in various bandages was almost too much. Also he felt he had to escape from himself. Back at his house when he had found them in the bathroom, there had been a moment where he had thought 'better them then me'. And he hated himself for it. Not that he would ever wish them harm, but in a moment of cowardice he had been glad he had left earlier.

The thought made him sick, and back when he had been in the room with Shin and Uchi looking like comrades in a vast battle, he had felt even more sick of himself, and a little jealous.

Shin was silently thankful for his friends help, though he would likely never say he needed them, and now Kuro felt as though he had let him down.

Kuro was so lost in his self reflection, that he didn't notice the figure creeping up behind him until it was too late. The crunch of a footstep alerted Kuro to company, but he turned around to meet a blow to the head.

'This is what I get for moping.' Was his last thought before blackness overtook him and he crumpled to the floor, the metal pipe used to hit him landing with a ringing clang by his head.

The moment Shin was aware he had fallen asleep was the moment he woke with a jerk because of the loud screeching of tires.

Glancing blearily around he ascertained that he was still in the sleeping Uchi's room, and that Kuro was still gone. Shin looked at his watch to realise he had been gone twenty minutes.

He suddenly got that awful certainty that something bad had happened, along with that all-consuming feeling in his gut that was screaming at him to get up and run to the ends of the earth to make it right. Or something worse would happen. (If you've had this feeling you should know exactly what I mean.)

Jerking up he cast a quick look at the dozing Uchi, knowing he at least should be safe, before sprinting out of the room.

Shin practically flew outside into the now pouring rain and thunder, ignoring the calls of the doctor and staff present.

Shin sprinted across roads, streets and through alleys. He could feel the increasing lack of air as he tore up the asphalt with yet another new speed record for himself.

He was aware of the sickeningly painful similarity to that fateful event a few nights ago. But he realised it hardly mattered. He wasn't going to stop running for the world, let alone the threat of Hat-chan.

Kuro was in a situation that only he could get him out of. Shin knew that he was practically going to give himself away to one of his greatest fears. He knew that chances were slim he would get out of it, let alone unscathed. He knew that Kuro would likely be beaten up anyway. He knew that he should have called Yankumi.

But all of this paled in the light that this act might just spare Kuro his life, and that if he didn't go he would never forgive himself.

This was what kept Shin sprinting down rain drenched streets past the capacity of his lungs. Because if nothing else he had to try.

With these half-thoughts in his mind Shin arrived at the warehouse in which Hat-chan resided. A fleeting thought went out to the friends he may never see again, the only friends he'd ever miss running around the world for, before he pushed open the rusted door in time with a theatrical thunder clap, and stalked into the lamp-lit gloom.

Outside the clouds cried all their tears for him.

Kuro had been shaken awake by rough hands. Soon his unfocused gaze found a sneering but not ugly face above him. The sandy died hair was pulled back into a short, rough ponytail, strands of hair falling about the face with hard brown eyes.

"Ah, so the bait is awake." Idiotic sniggers followed the statement.

"Your Hat-chan right?" Kuro was answered by a backhand across his face. He winced as he licked blood from his lip.

"Don't call me that." The near whisper was as cold as ice, Kuro shivered in an unnerved way. He had expected the guy to shout.

"Don't touch him." Came another low voice as Shin slowly stalked into the surrounding light. Kuro looked up at him through watering eyes. Shin was soaked and breathing heavily, he didn't look at Kuro. His eyes were fixed on Hat-chan, as if daring him to move whilst dreading it to the bone.

Kuro closed his eyes slowly. He should have known that Shin would come here, irrational as ever. He didn't close his eyes for long as he felt a breath of movement and opened his eyes to the morbid show.

"Come closer, and I'll move further." Kuro was horrified to see Shin easily obey the command, of course Shin new that this was a test to Hat-chan.

Surely enough, after Shin made the first step forward Hat-chan waved his men off before matching Shin's slow pace away from Kuro. Hat-chan still stood between them but at a safer distance from Kuro.

"Come back to me bunny." The way in which he said 'bunny' made Kuro realise just how unfunny it sounded.

"Let him go back to the hospital." Came Shin's quiet reply as he gazed at the wall behind Hat-chan.

"One of my men will take him back. We'll have to knock him out again." Shin nodded knowing that this was probably the only way to spare him greater harm.

"You hurt him pointlessly and I'm gone." Shin warned in all seriousness, still not looking directly at Hat-chan. To Kuro's surprise Hat-chan nodded and moved a step away from him. However, he noticed how it had taken most of Shin's resolve not to step back with that step forwards.

"Leave Kuro." Shin shot him a quick pleading glance. It was this more then the situation at hand that made Kuro stand up when a burley figure pulled at his arm.

"He wont be taken back until you say it bunny." Hat-chan looked Shin right in the eyes and smiled. "I haven't heard it said right in _so _long." Even as Kuro took a deep breath and watched Shin broke a little further.

"Hat-chan." No emotion came through with the monotone name, but Hat-chan let out a deep breath as his muscles relaxed.

"Again." He whispered as he moved closer to Shin. Once more Hat-chan gave the impression that his own name was his latest fix.

"Hat-chan."

"Say it again."

"Hat-chan."

"Again bunny." Each time Shin spoke the accursed man's name, and each time Hat-chan moved that little bit closer to him, Shin's eyes looked just that bit more dead.

Kuro watched the morbid dance with a horrid sense of being unable to look away. The process continued until Hat-chan was close enough to Shin to touch him. When he was he reached out and pulled Shin's head to his chest.

Shin had the air of one torn between giving up and trying not to run forever as Hat-chan softly and deftly stroked his hair.

"Shh, shh. I've got you bunny, it's all right, shh." The deranged mutterings of Hat-chan to the unresponsive Shin were the last things Kuro heard before he was knocked out and fell to darkness. Shin also let himself fall into nightmares full of inky blackness as Kuro was dragged off. His last coherent thought being a hopeless hope that Kuro would bring the help he had finally decided he wanted. Then nothing but shades of swirling black and incoherent voices.

::Thank you for reading::

::Not many chapters left now, at least one hehe::

::please let me know ya thoughts, shadowtheo::


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own imagination.

Enjoy the final show!

Don't Sleep It Away: 5 "_Leporiphobia_": Fear of Rabbits.

Kuro awoke to sterilized white. It took him several moments to distinguish that the bright yellow smudge amidst the white was Uchi. Seconds after he had clarified that, he remembered the events previous to this.

"Shin!" He yelled, startling the sleeping blonde awake.

He sat bolt upright as he thought of the situation Shin had allowed to unfold for him.

"I see you're awake." Uchi commented dryly as he rubbed still sleepy eyes.

"What's happened? Where's Shin? Is he okay?" Kuro found himself coughing lightly after the breathless sentences.

"Okay first, calm down, you aren't 100 yet man. Some office workers stumbled across you unconscious on a corner and brought you in. You've been asleep for a day and a half since, but most of your injuries cleaned up pretty good. Only problem was the concussion. And as for 'where's Shin' and 'is he okay', I was hoping you could tell me."

Uchi's look was only semi-accusatory, which Kuro was glad for. As he retold the story he witnessed his friend's expression turn from one of confusion, to anger and lastly to worry.

"Shit." He muttered softly, Uchi couldn't take either of his friend's kidnap and torture lightly. He stood up violently.

"Where are they? I'll get them."

"Don't be stupid! There were like thirty of them! We at least need some sort of plan." Kuro ignored the scratching of his throat and dull ache in his head. Shin had come to his rescue; the least he could do was return the favor. He wasn't planning on leaving Shin broken yet.

"_Yankumi_!" Uchi suddenly yelled. "She'll know what to do!" He raised his fist in a positive manner.

"I don't know if that's a good idea. Shin didn't seem to want her to be in on this. You know how stubborn he can be."

"Some things are more important then pride Kuro." The softness of Uchi's voice made Kuro start and stare at the rare words of wisdom. Uchi himself was remembering the time he had apologized to that punk kid's mother. He hadn't wanted anything less then Yankumi's help, in the end however he had realized he hadn't _needed_ anything more.

Kuro nodded, finding vague amusement in the fact that it often took the worst of times to bring out the best of people.

Finding his head clearer he carefully got out of bed and dressed as Uchi left. As soon as the two were out the door, Dr. Fielding cornered them.

"What are you doing out of bed?" As she begun, there was a stampeding sound from the hall and, what seemed to be, the entire class of 3D tumbled from around the corner.

Questions tumbled thick and fast, none of them able to be heard. The doctor threw up her hands and stalked off, not before shooting the pair a warning look. As if to say 'I don't want to see you back here.'

Kuro turned to see Uchi had managed to calm the mob, inform them of the situation, and get the large one to dial Yankumi. It was safe to say Kuro was faintly amazed.

"She's meeting us on the way to the warehouse area." Kuma announced hurriedly.

"Ready for some exercise?" Uchi asked Kuro cheekily, and at the nod the two led the mob out of the hospital and down the streets.

Yankumi, who had been fully prepped over the phone, was there before them, glasses off and hair untied as her personal mark of when things were serious.

The group stopped to stare at the seemingly endless string of warehouses stretched out before them, and Shin could be in any one of them.

Whilst the rests were beginning to look forlorn at the thought of never finding Shin, Minami, Noda, Kuma, Uchi, Kuro and Yankumi shared glances. In that instant Kuro knew that there was at least one thing that connected them all in that moment.

Kuro felt the feeling that Shin had previously experienced many a time, the all-consuming gut feeling that he had to reach his friend. I was so strong that Kuro felt he might just rip apart from the force of it.

"Lets go guys!" Yankumi yelled in her usual manner, and they followed her, running into each warehouse in turn.

The first couple of warehouses had been housing other gangs; luckily no fight had broken out. The next few were empty completely, and after that they were full of actual workers, before becoming empty again.

Just as the hopelessness of never finding their leader settled firmly over 3D, Yankumi frustratedly yanked a new warehouse's door open, and they were met by the sight of all 30 of Hat-chan's gang.

For a moment, neither group moved, until Hat-chan stepped out of the crowd.

"Well well, can't seem to get enough can they?" He sneered to the evil cackling of his cronies.

"Give us Sawada and you can go free." Yankumi said, stepping forwards with the others following her closely, everyone searching for a glimpse of Shin.

"Sawada!" He mocked slightly, as if it was preposterous to call him that. "So _you're _the homeroom teacher eh?" Hat-chan laughed eerily, quiet enough to make everyone strain to hear him.

"There's no way you can have Bunny!" He spat, suddenly furious.

"Then at least let us see him." Kuro demanded, stepping in front of Yankumi.

"Alright. But I doubt you'll get much out of him." He sniggered, and clicked his fingers.

A small pathway formed in the crowd and two of the thugs came to the front, practically dragging Shin with them. As they came to a stop next to Hat-chan, they held Shin up so that he was just about standing.

It was the singular worst thing Kuro thought he had ever seen. The injuries looked bearable, a gash above his left eye, the arm he had broken looked bloody, as did his stomach through the white top under the black jacket. But Shin had finally given up.

He slumped against his captors with no energy; head lolling slightly, facing down sideways, bangs obscuring his eyes slightly.

"Shin." No response was made at Uchi's soft call.

"I told you. And see, he doesn't even want to acknowledge your presence!" Hat-chan goaded cruelly, 3D and even Yankumi seemed shocked by the state of Shin. However, before Yankumi could begin a lecture for Shin, Kuro spoke, knowing that, for once, she wouldn't get through.

"Shin! Look at me!" Kuro all but screamed across the distance, taking a couple of steps forwards. To everyone's surprise, including Hat-chan, Shin raised his head.

Dead eyes met Kuro, not even a single spark remained in them. All the walls Kuro had wanted to get behind had crumbled, leaving Shin looking vulnerable as he never had before.

Now Kuro could see why Shin kept the barriers up, because really, he knew he was broken. And somehow, he didn't believe he could be fixed. That's was why he died a little more each time he gave up the chance to talk to someone, because it reaffirmed that he was _too_ broken. Because he thought that somewhere, some part of him must not _want_ to be fixed, that he was too far gone to care.

Kuro's epiphany was so sudden and clear, that he knew it was right, and it spurred him on. Taking one final step he said what he had always really wanted to say to Shin, only before now, he hadn't been able to phrase it, it wasn't beautiful or articulate, but it was how he truly felt.

"Shin, we _want _to help you, you know that. But before we can do that, you've got to realise that _you _want us to! Because I know you do, and it's hard to say, and it probably always will be. But if you know you don't want to be like this, if you've felt yourself dying a little inside each time you nearly opened up but didn't, then you know you don't want to be like this any more!"

Kuro saw a tiny fraction of clarity in Shin's eyes, and a fury creep into Hat-chan's, and knew that he was getting through. He also realised that Hat-chan had probably always known this about Shin as well.

"And once you know that, it'll get better. I only want you to ask for help, and then you've got it, we wont push our help on you, so let us know you want it! Its okay if you're broken Shin, because Yankumi made me buy loads of super glue!" Kuro finished, breathing heavily even though the last sentence had been said softly, as if he had been telling Shin and no one else.

"Well he doesn't want you're help!" Hat-chan screamed, pushing away the two people on either side of Shin, not noticing how his bunny was standing on his own now, or how he was maintaining Kuro's eye contact fiercely. He noticed however, when Shin took a deep breath.

"I do want your help." The words were barely above a whisper, and silence reigned after they were said, but Kuro, and everyone else, had heard it perfectly.

Hat-chan stood frozen in horror until Shin turned to him. He reached up and clasped Shin's hair softly; staring into his eyes with the expression of someone afraid they were loosing something, and trying to convince it to not go.

"I don't want to loose you Bunny." He whispered desperately, stroking Shin's hair in a supposedly soothing manner.

"You did, the moment you gave me that name." Shin spoke back, slowly.

"I told you, it was because you were always my favorite, _my_ Bunny." Hat-chan said more forcefully, grasping Shin's hair as if it would keep him there forever.

"And I told you, I am _not_ your bunny." Shin replied in deadly calm. And for the first time, Hat-chan realized that he had lost Shin forever, and would _never_ be able to get him back.

Just as Shin saw the realization hit his face, he knew that this was the last shred of the Hat-chan he had been friends with that he would ever see. He was barely surprised to find a sudden pang in his chest. He felt the prickling of tears, mirrored on Hat-chan's face as they both mourned what they had once known, knowing now that it had always been doomed.

Then Kuro's eyes turned feral, as Shin's hardened into a cold glare.

"_KILL them_!" He screamed at his gang, who immediately went into attack mode, only to be taken down steadily one by one by Yankumi, followed by 3D.

Kuro ducked and dodged through the fight, trying to find Shin and Hat-chan, who he had lost sight of just as the gang broke ranks.

Ducking a swinging punch he saw them, they were tackled on the floor, each looking like they were trying to rip the other to shreds as they kicked and punched at each other. Kuro ran forwards, but just then Hat-chan rolled Shin over to slam into a large crate. Kuro was about to jump in to help when Shin hit Hat-chan squarely on the jaw, knocking his head to a painful angle and proceeding to kick him in the stomach.

Hat-chan lay winded on the floor, clutching his stomach as Shin got up. He managed to stagger a couple of steps towards Kuro before pitching sideways, falling to the floor and laying there, panting.

As Kuro ran forwards in honest, he heard Yankumi ending her moralizing lecture, the fallen gang looking suitably regretful. Amazing what that teacher could do. Kuro knelt beside Shin and helped him up as the gang ran for it, Hat-chan being helped up by one of them.

Kuro saw Shin and Hat-chan share a glance that only lasted a couple of seconds, yet said so much. But Kuro found, that the one time Shin's eyes were showing so many intense emotions, he couldn't understand any of them, and before he could try to the two looked away. Finally. Because, in a way, they had both been trapped in the other's eyes, and it was the freest either had felt for years.

Shin turned to Kuro just as Uchi ran up and looked between the two.

"Thanks." He said, not looking at either, but a slight smile playing on his lips, and both could see how much weight those words carried, and how light Shin seemed after he said them.

As the rest of the 3D, Yankumi included, gathered around, Kuro had the strong feeling that they would be all right. Somehow, even through all the fights, they would survive. The feeling wasn't as strong as the need to find Shin he had felt earlier, but probably no feeling ever would be.

And after all, if they were to stop running around the town to find each other in varying modes of panic, they wouldn't really be 3D and their slightly crazed teacher would they?

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Thanks and stuff!

I would like to dedicate this story to four of my friends:

1 Because she showed me this brilliant program, and is the one who would probably most like to read what I've written here, even though she probably wouldn't enjoy it!

2 Because this is the person who I think should have had a teacher like Yankumi at some point, it hasn't been easy for you, but don't make it worse by bringing yourself down, you deserve better.

3 Because this person was the first to make me feel the need to run all over a city to be there for them, and I will never forget you for your amazing friendship.

4 And finally to the person least likely to read this out of anyone I know, but you have been the most amazing person that I have ever met, and if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have ever felt what the fierce friendship is like. They have been the one that instinctively knows when I'm down, and always cheered me up. So even though you will never read this, thank you, because if it wasn't for you none of the above would have happened, and I wouldn't be where I'm able to be today.

I would also like to dedicate this to anyone who has ever felt that total need to run and find someone, and make sure they are okay. If you have felt this then you will know what I mean. Its that feeling that makes you run out of class and ready to miss your exams, keeps you running until you can't anymore till you find them. I hope everyone gets to fell that, because to me there is nothing more amazing.

I would also like to dedicate this to all those who have read/reviewed my story. This story means so much to me, and I will never cease to be amazed and endlessly thankful to you guys. You're all wonderful to me :)

Special thanks!

fantasyforever1989 You really made me happy and proud of my story, and made me inspired to write when I was in a tight spot, thank you!

Revir Because you were my first ever review, and that was totally great for me!

sennafan You made me laugh with your first review, and you kept reading my story, thank you!

Karened because you stayed up at midnight to read my story, and that made me really happy, so thanks for not getting much sleep that night!

Lady Ronin Tiger I'm really grateful that you sent that sappy review! It was good to have support for being one of the very few non-shinkumi fics on here!

htheh Thanks for giving my fic a chance against the odds! Its cool to see that it was interesting enough to have you read it!

anonymous xx You said my fic was dark and interesting, which was exactly what I had been aiming for, so thank you!

stinger Thank you for the awesome review, I was really glad that you found it easy to understand, because I tend to go off course!

Sirith Thanks a lot! I loved seeing you say great writing, it makes me happy!

Essenze I'm so glad that you shared my sentiments on the need for more no shinkumi fics! I'm so happy you reviewed, it was really inspiring so thank you!

Please let me know ya thoughts! I have no other Gokusen stories planned, so let me know what you thought, any ideas, or if you would like any sort of prequel or sequel!

Thank you all _so_ much for reading, it really does mean the world to me, shadowtheo


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